Knot tyer

ABSTRACT

The knot tyer in accordance with the present invention includes, a hollow, elongated body member with a coil expansion spring mounted tubular piston therein and a release thereon. The hollow, elongated body member has a tubular piston slidably mounted and constrained within a cylindrical, hollow bore therethrough. The tubular piston has a first shoulder, a second shoulder, and a groove extending around the diameter of the tubular piston. The cylindrical, hollow bore in the rear end of the hollow, elongated body member accommodates in free longitudinally sliding manner a first shoulder on the tubular piston as well as a coil expansion spring encircling the tubular piston. The cylindrical, hollow bore in the front end of the hollow, elongated body member accommodates in free longitudinally sliding manner a second shoulder and a groove on the tubular piston. The release is pivotally attached to the hollow, elongated body member by a pin, which pin allows the release to pivot on the external longitudinal axis of the hollow, elongated body member. The tubular piston has a grooved front end. The front end of the tubular piston is grooved so as to be open and hollow internally.

This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No.08/749,245, filed Nov. 4, 1996, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,791,699.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention pertains generally to improvements relating to fishermentools, and more particularly concerns fishermen tools which areparticularly adapted to have a purpose of being a knot tying tool.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Technological advancements are resulting in fishermen using multipurposedevices to a greater extent, said multipurpose devices being relativelyeasily manufactured, inexpensive and requiring less space for storage.

Prior art discloses a variety of fishermen devices used for particularpurposes, but generally such fishermen devices are limited by theparticular purpose for which they are used.

Knot tying devices of the general type to which the present inventionpertains have been heretofore known in the art.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,926,036 to Wimberley teaches a fisherman's knot tyingtool for tying leaders or lines to fishing hooks or flies.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,086,802 to Keeton teaches a knot tying device having thecapability of tying or tightening the various knots that may be requiredin the art of fishing. The Keeton knot tying device provides a body anda retractable mandrel made of a bundle of different stiff, resilientwires.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,265,422 to Pierce teaches a threading and knot tyingdevice for fish hooks.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,694,014 to Rossbach et al. teaches a fishing toolembodying a knot tier with an elongated member extending therefrom inposition relative to a portion of the knot tier effective to clampinglyengage a carrying member.

However, the knot tiers as have been heretofore known in the artcommonly have had several inherent disadvantages. A disadvantage of knottiers known in the art is that known knot tiers require a step oftransferring the knot from a post or arbor onto another line, oftenresulting in the knot falling apart or disassembling during suchtransfer.

For this reason, it would be highly beneficial to provide a fishingtool, which in addition to including the well-known and beneficialfeatures, includes other features which are specially adapted to assistin the performing of many other common fishing activities and willprolong the effectiveness of the fishing tool by minimizing the misuseof the existing features. It would be highly beneficial to provide afishing tool which provides for a knot tying device, with said fishingtool being relatively easily manufactured, inexpensive and requiringless space in fishing tackle storage containers. It would be highlybeneficial to provide a fishing tool which provides a knot tying devicethat eliminates the step of transferring the knot from a post or arboronto another line.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The knot tyer in accordance with the present invention includes, ingeneral, a hollow, elongated body member with a coil expansion springmounted tubular piston therein and a release thereon.

The hollow, elongated body member has a cylindrical, hollow boretherethrough on a longitudinal axis. The hollow, elongated body memberis provided with a circular, externally threaded opening on a rear endthereof. The circular, externally threaded opening accommodates acircular, internally threaded collar. The hollow, elongated body memberis provided with a tapered opening on a front end thereof. The hollow,elongated body member is provided with a release mounted on the frontend thereof.

The hollow, elongated body member has a tubular piston slidably mountedand constrained within the cylindrical, hollow bore therethrough. Thetubular piston has a first shoulder, a second shoulder, and a grooveextending around the diameter of the tubular piston.

The hollow, elongated body member has a cylindrical, hollow boretherethrough on the longitudinal axis, said cylindrical, hollow borebeing of sufficient diameter to accommodate the tubular piston in freelongitudinally sliding manner. The cylindrical, hollow bore has adiameter in the front end of the hollow, elongated body member and adiameter in the rear end of the hollow, elongated body member, whichdiameter in the front end of the hollow, elongated body member is asmaller diameter than the diameter in the rear end of the hollow,elongated body member.

The cylindrical, hollow bore in the rear end of the hollow, elongatedbody member accommodates in free longitudinally sliding manner a firstshoulder on the tubular piston as well as a coil expansion springencircling the tubular piston, said coil expansion spring being held insaid encircling position within the cylindrical, hollow bore by saidfirst shoulder on the tubular piston and a shoulder created internallyof the hollow, elongated body member by the reduction in diameter of thecylindrical, hollow bore. The first shoulder on the tubular piston andthe coil expansion spring mounted on the tubular piston are constrainedwithin the cylindrical, hollow bore by the circular, internally threadedcollar.

The cylindrical, hollow bore in the front end of the hollow, elongatedbody member accommodates in free longitudinally sliding manner a secondshoulder and a groove on the tubular piston.

Mounted externally on the front end of the hollow, elongated body memberis a release. The release is pivotally attached to the hollow, elongatedbody member by a pin, which pin allows the release to pivot on theexternal longitudinal axis of the hollow, elongated body member. Therelease is held in a closed position by a spring, which spring islocated on the rear portion of the release and which spring allows therelease to return to the closed position after being pivoted to openposition. The release has a prong on a front end thereof, which prong,when the release is in the closed position, is forced in a directiontowards and seats within the groove of the tubular piston.

When the tubular piston is longitudinally slid in a forward directionwithin the hollow, elongated body member, the first shoulder on thetubular piston compresses the coil expansion spring against the shouldercreated internally of the hollow, elongated body member by the reductionin diameter of the cylindrical, hollow bore. The second shoulder andgroove on the tubular piston are likewise longitudinally slid in aforward direction within the hollow, elongated body member the prong ofthe release seats in the groove on the tubular piston. The prong is heldin the groove on the tubular piston by the spring on the release forcingthe front of the prong toward and into the groove of the tubular pistonand the coil expansion spring forcing the second shoulder on the tubularpiston against the prong in a rearward direction.

Activating the release by pressing on the rear portion of the releaseremoves the prong from the groove on the tubular piston resulting in thetubular piston rapidly and forcefully being longitudinally slid in arearward direction of the longitudinal axis of the hollow, elongatedbody member by the coil expansion spring decompressing and forcing thefirst shoulder on the tubular piston in a rearward direction within thecylindrical, hollow bore, said longitudinal rearward sliding by thetubular piston stopping when the first shoulder on the tubular pistonstrikes the circular, internally threaded collar.

The tubular piston has a front end. The front end of the tubular pistonhas a first groove, said first groove being on a side of said tubularpiston directly opposite a second groove on said tubular piston. Saidfirst groove opening and extending the front end length of said tubularpiston resulting in said front end of said tubular piston being openthereby and hollow internally. Said second groove extending back intothe front end length of said tubular piston a short distance.

The tubular piston has a rear end, said rear end extending beyond therear of the hollow, elongated body. Said rear end of said tubular pistonhaving attached thereto a knob, said knob being used to slide saidtubular piston longitudinally within said hollow elongated body.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a knot tying device,with said knot tyer being relatively easily manufactured, inexpensiveand requiring less space in fishing tackle storage containers.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a knot tyingdevice that eliminates the step of transferring the knot from a post orarbor onto another line.

IN THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the knot tyer of the present invention with thetubular piston retracted.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the knot tyer of the present invention with thetubular piston extended.

FIG. 3 shows the grooved front end of the tubular piston of the knottyer of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, reference numerals willbe used to denote like parts or structural features in the differentviews. While a particular embodiment of the invention has been shown anddescribed, it will be understood that the invention is not limited thereto, since modifications may be made th at will become apparent tothose skilled in the art.

A knot tyer 10, embodying the principles of the present invention, isshown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings to illustrate the presentlypreferred embodiment of the present invention. The knot tyer 10 of thepresent invention embodies, in general, a hollow, elongated body member12 with a coil expansion spring 34 mounted tubular piston 14 thereon anda release 16 thereon.

The hollow, elongated body member 12 has a cylindrical, hollow bore 26therethrough on a longitudinal axis. The hollow, elongated body member12 is provided with a circular, externally threaded opening 18 on a rearend 20 thereof. The circular, externally threaded opening 18accommodates a circular, internally threaded collar 22. The hollow,elongated body member 12 is provided with a tapered opening on a frontend 24 thereof. The hollow, elongated body member 12 is provided with arelease 16 mounted on the front end 24 thereof.

The hollow, elongated body member 12 has a tubular piston 14 slidablymounted and constrained within the cylindrical, hollow bore 26therethrough. The tubular piston 14 has a first shoulder 28, a secondshoulder 30, and a groove 32 extending around the diameter of thetubular piston 14. The tubular piston has a hollow front end, whichhollow front end has a first groove 14a and a second groove 14b, and arear end, which rear end has a knob 14c.

The hollow, elongated body member 12 has a cylindrical, hollow bore 26therethrough on the longitudinal axis, said cylindrical, hollow bore 26being of sufficient diameter to accommodate the tubular piston 14 infree longitudinally sliding manner. The cylindrical, hollow bore 26 hasa diameter in the front end 24 of the hollow, elongated body member 12and a diameter in the rear end 20 of the hollow, elongated body member12, which diameter in the front end 24 of the hollow, elongated bodymember 12 is a smaller diameter than the diameter in the rear end 20 ofthe hollow, elongated body member 12.

The cylindrical, hollow bore 26 in the rear end 20 of the hollow,elongated body member 12 accommodates in free longitudinally slidingmanner a first shoulder 28 on the tubular piston 14 as well as a coilexpansion spring 34 encircling the tubular piston 14, said coilexpansion spring 34 being held in said encircling position within thecylindrical, hollow bore 26 by said first shoulder 28 on the tubularpiston 14 and a shoulder 36 created internally of the hollow, elongatedbody member 12 by the reduction in diameter of the cylindrical, hollowbore 26. The first shoulder 28 on the tubular piston 14 and the coilexpansion spring 34 mounted on the tubular piston 14 are constrainedwithin the cylindrical, hollow bore 26 by the circular, internallythreaded collar 22.

The cylindrical, hollow bore 26 in the front end 24 of the hollow,elongated body member 12 accommodates in free longitudinally slidingmanner a second shoulder 30 and a groove 32 on the tubular piston 14.

Mounted externally on the front end 24 of the hollow, elongated bodymember 12 is a release 16. The release 16 is pivotally attached to thehollow, elongated body member 12 by a pin 38, which pin 38 allows therelease 16 to pivot on the external longitudinal axis of the hollow,elongated body member 12. The release 16 is held in a closed position bya spring 40, which spring 40 is located on the rear portion of therelease 16 and which spring 40 allows the release 16 to return to theclosed position after being pivoted to open position. The release 16 hasa prong 42 on a front end thereof, which prong 42, when the release 16is in the closed position, is forced in a direction towards and seatswithin the groove 32 of the tubular piston 14.

When the tubular piston 14 is longitudinally slid in a forward directionwithin the hollow, elongated body member 12, by placing forward pressureon the knob 14c, the first shoulder 28 on the tubular piston 14compresses the coil expansion spring 34 against the shoulder 36 createdinternally of the hollow, elongated body member 12 by the reduction indiameter of the cylindrical, hollow bore 26. The second shoulder 30 andgroove 32 on the tubular piston 14 are likewise longitudinally slid in aforward direction within the hollow, elongated body member 12 the prong42 of the release 16 seats in the groove 32 on the tubular piston 14.The prong 42 is held in the groove 32 on the tubular piston 14 by thespring 40 on the release 16 forcing the front of the prong 42 toward andinto the groove 32 of the tubular piston 14 and the coil expansionspring 34 forcing the second shoulder 30 on the tubular piston 14against the prong 42 in a rearward direction.

Activating the release 16 by pressing on the rear portion of the release16 removes the prong 42 from the groove 32 on the tubular piston 14resulting in the tubular piston 14 rapidly and forcefully beinglongitudinally slid in a rearward direction of the longitudinal axis ofthe hollow, elongated body member 12 by the coil expansion spring 34decompressing and forcing the first shoulder 28 on the tubular piston 14in a rearward direction within the cylindrical, hollow bore 26, saidlongitudinal rearward sliding by the tubular piston 14 stopping when thefirst shoulder 28 on the tubular piston 14 strikes the circular,internally threaded collar 22.

As shown in FIG. 3, the tubular piston 14 has a front end 44. The frontend 44 of the tubular piston has a first groove 14a, said first groove14a being on a side of said tubular piston 14 directly opposite a secondgroove 14b on said tubular piston 14. Said first groove 14a being openthe front end length of said tubular piston 14, resulting in the frontend 44 of said tubular piston 14 being open thereby and hollowinternally. Said second groove 14b extending back into the front endlength of said tubular piston 14 a short distance.

The tubular piston 14 has a rear end 48, said rear end extending beyondthe rear of the hollow, elongated body member 12. The rear end 48 ofsaid tubular piston 14 having attached thereto a knob 14c, said knob 14cbeing used to slide said tubular piston 14 longitudinally within saidhollow elongated body 12.The hollow front end 44 of the tubular piston14 accommodates leader or other line for knot tying purposes.

To tie a knot attaching a leader or other fishing line, cock the knottyer 10 by sliding the tubular piston 14 longitudinally forward in thehollow, elongated body member 12 until the tubular piston 14 locks inplace with the front end 44 extended. Place the knot tyer 10 in the palmof either hand with the thumb lying on the release 16. Thread the freeend of the larger diameter line longitudinally along the longitudinallength of the knot tyer 10, into the groove 14a in the front end 44 ofthe tubular piston 14 and approximately 4" to 6" beyond the front end 44of the tubular piston 14. The short end of the line is then placed intothe at the front end 44 of the tubular piston 14 and wrapped into atight coil using 4-7 raps, starting at the front end 44 of the tubularpiston 14 and wrapped back toward the hollow, elongated body member 12.From the hollow, elongated body member 12 side of the wraps of line, thetag end of the line is threaded through the groove 14a under all wraps,exiting at the front end 44. The wraps are then snugged or tightenedgently. 1" to 2" of a second line is then placed through the groove 14aof the front end 44 under the wraps back toward the hollow, elongatedbody member 12. Each end of the line is held snug and the release 16activated, causing the withdrawal of the tubular piston 14 and leavingthe first line wrapped loosely around the second line. Each end of thefirst line is then slowly snugged while the wraps are kept tightlybunched together. The first line is then securely tightened on thesecond line and the ends of the lines may be trimmed close to the knot.The know may then be covered with rubber based cement for addedstrength.

What is claimed is:
 1. A knot tyer comprising:a hollow, elongated bodymember having a cylindrical, hollow bore therethrough on a longitudinalaxis; a circular, externally threaded opening on a rear end of saidhollow, elongated body member; a circular, internally threaded collar,said collar engaging in tightening manner said circular, externallythreaded opening; a tapered opening on a front end of said hollow,elongated body member; a release mounted on said front end of saidhollow, elongated body member; a tubular piston slidably mounted andconstrained within said cylindrical, hollow bore of said hollow,elongated body member; said release being for said tubular piston; saidtubular piston having a first shoulder, a second shoulder, a grooveextending around the diameter thereof adjacent said second shoulder, afront end and a rear end; said front end of said tubular piston having afirst groove and a second groove; said rear end of said tubular pistonhaving a knob; said cylindrical, hollow bore having a diameter in saidfront end of said hollow, elongated body member and a diameter in saidrear end of said hollow, elongated body member, which diameter in saidfront end of said hollow, elongated body member is a smaller diameterthan said diameter of said cylindrical, hollow bore in said rear end ofsaid hollow, elongated body member; a coil expansion spring encirclingsaid tubular piston within said hollow, elongated body member; saidcylindrical, hollow bore in said rear end of said hollow, elongated bodymember accommodating in free longitudinally sliding manner said firstshoulder on said tubular piston as well as said coil expansion springencircling said tubular piston; a shoulder created internally of saidhollow, elongated body member by a reduction in diameter of saidcylindrical, hollow bore; said coil expansion spring being held in saidencircling position by said first shoulder on said tubular piston andsaid shoulder created internally of said hollow, elongated body memberby said reduction in said diameter of said cylindrical, hollow bore;said first shoulder on said tubular piston and said coil expansionspring encircling said tubular piston being constrained within saidcylindrical, hollow bore by said circular, internally threaded collar;said cylindrical, hollow bore in said front end of said hollow,elongated body member accommodating in free longitudinally slidingmanner said second shoulder and said groove adjacent said secondshoulder; said release being mounted externally on said front end ofsaid hollow, elongated body member; said release being pivotallyattached to said hollow, elongated body member by a pin, said pinallowing said release to pivot on said hollow, elongated body member;said release being held in a closed position by a spring, said springbeing located on a rear portion of said release; said release having aprong, said prong seating in said groove adjacent said second shoulderand being held in said groove adjacent said second shoulder by saidspring on said release; and, said front end of said tubular piston beinghollow internally.